 SALEM- What started as a dream to open a meat market has turned into one of the biggest and most well-known Mexican markets in the state of Oregon.
Alfredo Mendez first opened El Torito Meat Market in McMinnville 20 years ago. Mendez immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was 17 and the first job, he landed in California was for a carniceria, otherwise known as a meat market. When he met and married Liliana Perez, they eventually expanded the business to cities across the state of Oregon.
“I started in the California market, worked there for over 10 years, and then moved here to open one in McMinnville,” Perez said. “I’ve developed the knowledge and focus necessary to run a business.”
Mendez and Perez, who live in the Salem area, opened their first Salem location in 2006 and have now been a part of the community for 16 years.
In total, they now have seven different locations, including one in McMinnville, two in Salem, and one each in Woodburn, Eugene, Lincoln City, and Klamath Falls.
“We’ve been in Salem for 16 years, and we had customers from Lincoln City, Eugene, and all over, and they always told us we should come to their city,” Perez said. “They always told us they love our meat. We looked into the possibility, and if there’s an option, we go for it.”
Originally starting out as a meat market, the family has expanded to include a grocery store, tortilla-making station, produce section, panaderia (Mexican bakery), and restaurant with fresh food made daily.
“We strive to offer our customers the best quality, whether it’s chicharrón, carnitas, carne asada, or whatever,” Pérez said. “We source our meat from a local distributor, Willamette Valley Meat in Portland.”
The couple, originally from Michoacán, run a family business with their four children.
“We can show our culture to other people,” Pérez said. “Our stores complement everything people need. When you go grocery shopping, you buy meat, but you can also order warm tortillas with your hot food. It’s easier for our customers to have it pre-made and ready to eat.”
Each of the stores helped overcome the hardships of the pandemic, with the Eugene store being the hardest hit. They went from having 20 employees to just two. They managed to survive and are now thriving with the opening of their newest and largest location in Klamath Falls.
They opened their second location in Salem during the 2021 pandemic due to growing demand and the need for a larger space in the Mid-Willamette area.
“The issue was space, so we looked for something bigger,” said Pérez. “We always wanted to grow and have a bigger store to offer more products. That’s what prompted us to look for a bigger space, and that’s why we opened the second location in Salem.”
The couple could also expand further into the Salem area in the future. They’ve considered locations in South Salem and Keizer.
“There’s potential here in Salem; it’s grown a lot since we started,” Perez said. “We can maintain our culture here and enjoy the food we love.”